Rob Macaire

UK and Kenya-Global economic crisis

As one of the responses to my last blog perceptively noticed, I am back in London this week for the annual gathering of all British Ambassadors and High Commissioners.  A lot of what we have been discussing is about the impact of the global economic crisis on the developing world, including the points raised by others on this blog: remittances, development assistance, migration.   These are difficult issues, and I have been struck by the fact that even among the best commentators and analysts, no-one at the moment is confident enough to predict exactly how the economic downturn will unfold over the course of this year.  But all attention here is on the G20 Summit here next week.  This is a crucial moment in the international response to the crisis.  I won't try to summarise here the way this is shaping up. But let me point out that the British Government, from the Prime Minister down, has been insistent that this summit has to address, among other things, the urgent need for responses to take account of developing nations and of the poor and vulnerable who are being affected by the crisis.

I should comment briefly on the remarks by the person signing themselves as 'Militant'; although I don't suppose that I am likely to change those views, judging by the way they are written.   It doesn't really make sense to argue that countries like mine want to keep the developing world poor - we want countries that are stable, peaceful, more equal and better governed.  Those countries will be better partners for us, as I commented last week: whether on trade and investment or on dealing with serious threats we face in common.  And just to comment on the remark about the suffering people of Darfur - who really cares more for those people: the international community that has been pouring in millions of pounds/dollars/euros in humanitarian assistance, both from governments and from charitable giving, and putting massive political efforts into supporting the peace process?  Or the government in Khartoum, which recently banned international NGOs from operating there, directly increasing the suffering of the people?

Rob

Posted at 12:06 28 March 2009 by Rob Macaire  |  Comments[5]